Noah K. Murray /The Star LedgerCivil rights groups filed a formal complaint today with Jeffrey Chiesa, Attorney General for the State of New Jersey over the New York Police Department's surveillance of Muslims in the state.

TRENTON — Three dozen groups — including civil rights, religious, student and civic organizations — filed a complaint today with the state Attorney General’s Office seeking an examination of the New York Police Department’s surveillance of Muslims in 2007 and 2009 in Newark and New Brunswick.

"The seriousness of this problem cannot be overstated, and we urgently request that you conduct a prompt investigation into this matter," according to the complaint sent to Attorney General Jeffrey Chiesa, who is overseeing a review of the incidents.

In addition to a general investigation of the NYPD’s actions, the complaint asked Chiesa to determine the extent to which police in New Jersey assisted the NYPD, as well as if any state laws, like the Wiretapping Act, were broken.

The complaint also stated the NYPD’s activities were inconsistent with the values of New Jersey, which was shaken by a racial profiling scandal in the late 1990s. The surveillance operation was first reported last month by The Associated Press.

"Now, as evidenced by these reports, outside actors are freely engaging in racial and religious profiling and unwarranted surveillance of New Jersey residents without any accountability or oversight," the complaint said.

Chiesa has so far declined to open a formal investigation. He told Muslim leaders at a summit on Saturday he must first determine what legal authority, if any, his office has over the NYPD. Paul Loriquet, a spokesman for Chiesa, said today the matter is still under review.

"We are continuing to gather information and will thoroughly review the underlying facts and circumstances relating to the nature and scope of the intelligence gathering in New Jersey," Loriquet said. "That information will guide us in determining appropriate next steps in how we proceed.

Some Muslim leaders in New York said they planned to meet with Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly about the department’s counterterrorism tactics, but religious leaders excluded from the discussion dismissed it as a farce.

"He’s picking people who are going to agree with him and we don’t think that is a good formula for resolution, reconciliation or conversation," said Zead Ramadan, board president of the Council on American-Islamic Relations in New York.